Last week, Humane introduced their AI Pin.
After raising $230 million and spending years working on a device that would revolutionize the way we interact with technology, what was supposed to be the start of a new era has gone awry.
Their launch video, focusing on the features instead of benefits, quickly attracted thousands of people bashing the AI Pin, mocking how the weight of the pin deformed the collar or how it was a gadget more than a revolution.
One guy even went as far as saying:
“Oh man, if only a device existed that could display information, make a call, & give me directions — oh wait, it does exist. It’s a fucking cellphone.”
In short, viewers didn’t understand the real problem the device was solving, and most focused on the details over the long-term vision —all due to a bad story.
Here’s what the AI Pin truly is, and how Humane should have marketed their product.
A problem worth solving
Today, we all more or less use our smartphones in 3 ways:
- Tools (calendar, photos, etc.)
- Communication (calls, text messages, etc.)
- Entertainment (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc.)
And Humane's new device has one goal:
Connecting us back with other humans by eliminating the third bucket and cutting down our screen time.
It’s that simple.
Humane's goal is to let you leave the house without your phone, with only your AI Pin on your chest. They want you to finish your day's work, order an Uber that will be at your door when you walk in, text your wife to say you'll be home soon, and take a picture of the sunset on the way home - all without your phone.
The AI Pin is what the smartphone was to the computer: a device that performs pretty much the same tasks but finds its relevance in its format.
It reconnects you to reality by removing the interface that separates you from it.
Being on your chest, the AI Pin can recognize what you're about to eat and remind you to avoid those peanuts if you're allergic. This accessibility is impossible for your phone, which remains far removed from your daily interactions even when carried in your pocket everywhere you go.
With its compactness, the AI Pin removes the superfluous. When your smartphone's screen is more often entertaining than relevant, the AI Pin forces you to focus on the essentials. And while your iPhone vibrates at every Twitter notification, the AI Pin only comes to life when you think it's important.
It isn't a functional tool. It's an information concentrator.
So how should they have shared this vision?
The launch video had one single goal:
Let us reflect on our addiction to technology — and then judge whether we want to take the first step to claim our attention back. That's it.
This means we didn't need to know all the product details in the first 2 minutes of the video.
We didn't need a complete review of all the applications available either since they're all much more comfortable on a smartphone.
It is evident that our photos will be of better quality on our phones and that the text we receive will be more legible on a screen than on our hands.
The AI Pin presentation was here to raise the question:
Is a device that'll serve the main functionality of a phone, without the burden of having to check it out every 5 minutes, worth $699?
If I were working on marketing at Humane, I'd have made sure the first minutes of their video went something like this:
- Start with a big claim, explaining clearly the problem it solves.
- Explain how it solves it with concrete advantages.
- Close up with a vision of the future and a clear CTA.
Better, isn’t it?
The problem is clear — we’re bombarded with notifications and information.
The solution is clear — it’s a device that removes the superfluous.
The benefits are clear — it allows us to live moments fully, not behind a screen.
Using the pitch above, their presentation could’ve sounded something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVLoqWK6niQ&embedable=true
Always keep the benefits in mind
Whether the device will live up to the expectations is another story, but Humane could (and should) have spent more time on their launch story.
Last week was a good reminder that before launching a completely new product you spent years and millions building, you should always identify the purpose, highlight the core benefits, and try to make it look like you put in a little effort.
Like double checking your information — missing the eclipse date when your logo is an eclipse? Really?
Speak soon,
- Eliot
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